This invention relates to what is referred to herein as a protector incorporable with a syringe, the projector being adjustable to inhibit accidental puncturing of one using the syringe with the needle of the syringe. More specifically, it concerns a syringe and protector combination where the protector also includes a sealing member which seals the tip of the syringe needle with the protector having a selected position on the syringe, so as to inhibit exposure of the contents of the syringe to oxygen in the air. An additional feature is a construction whereby the protector may be used in coupling the syringe to an analyzer probe, as a preliminary to transferring liquid in the syringe to the analyzer for the purpose of analyzing the content of the liquid.
Technicians who draw a fluid, such as blood, from a patient, or use a syringe with needle for the injection of material into a patient, are subject to personal injury after the needle in the syringe is withdrawn from the patient through accidental puncturing with the now possibly contaminated needle. Presently many syringes are supplied with a protective needle cover, which essentially covers only the needle in the syringe, and the needle is often recovered with this needle cover after use of the syringe because of the difficulty of using safer techniques at the patient's bedside. This procedure also potentially exposes the technician to potential puncture from the possibly contaminated needle.
So-called blood gas analyzers are known which in use are loaded with a sample of blood, with the analyzer then producing determinations indicative of oxygen and carbon dioxide level in the blood. In using such an analyzer, arterial blood is withdrawn from a patient into a syringe and it is frequently necessary to remove the possibly contaminated needle from the syringe prior to placing the barrel of the syringe against a port in the analyzer for the purpose of loading the analyzer with the blood sample. With this procedure, contaminated blood is susceptible to being splattered on the technician's body.
It is necessary to keep any blood sample which is to be analyzed with a blood gas analyzer free from exposure to air and the oxygen within the air, because one of the purposes of the assay made is to test for oxygen content and any exposure to oxygen in the air may alter the sample. Additionally, it may be desirable to save a portion of a blood sample for later loading into an analyzer in the event that the first assay is not correct, again requiring that the sample obtained not be exposed to oxygen.
The need to protect technicians from diseases such as hepatitis and AIDS makes the problems above discussed in connection with possible contamination by a patient's blood particularly important.
The protector of this invention addresses the above discussed problems and requirements in a highly practical and satisfactory manner. Among the functions permitted by the device of the invention is the ability for a technician relatively easily to shield or cover a needle after such has been inserted into a patient, with substantially no exposure to possible puncturing by the needle of the syringe. The covering operation may be performed using only one hand by the technician, and the operation may be performed immediately after the withdrawing of a syringe needle from a patient. The protector preferably includes a needle tip sealing member, which functions to seal the tip of the syringe needle with the protector in a selected position. The protector further is provided with a construction which enables it to be fitted against a blood gas analyzer, more particularly, a probe in the analyzer, to effect transfer of blood from the syringe to the analyzer. In this procedure, again the needle of the syringe is covered so as to inhibit accidental puncturing of someone handling the syringe.